This morning these three Steelers know how lucky they are back on solid ground thanks to the most unlikely of rescues. A cargo container ship the size of two football fields that just happened to be nearby. This folks taking on water and the sinking and they had no life raft. And then you're missing -- The 42 foot sailboat walkabout battered and broken was found bobbing in high seas. A victim of hurricane Julio -- -- that -- asked to lie. It's coming from -- And we finally ended up front of him. 61 year old captain Ben -- was on board along with his 22 year old son and a friend. Stealing from California to Thailand when they were caught in 115. Mile per hour winds. And thirty foot seas one of the votes hatches was blown clear raw. The pumps couldn't keep up with the flooding and the engine was shot the votes leaning badly the man. Heavily seasick and worried they might not make it when they called the Coast Guard there. So while the -- the boat they were riding buried deep in the swells. There were about thirty foot swells. It's only a 42 foot boat. Finally a massive 661. Foot -- and cargo containers -- responding to distress calls reach them and pulled along side. The three climbed a ladder up the three story high side of the ship. And to safety. It was crazy and I can I can describe that a good it was. It scared. For Good Morning America and Neal Karlinsky ABC news Seattle.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Stranded Boaters Rescued After Battling 30-Foot Waves

The three men were stranded off the Hawaiian islands for about 24 hours during Hurricane Julio.

Hawaii Braces for Storms

Iselle and Julio are approaching the Big Island.

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